China is big and its bathrooms are diverse. The worst bathroom I encountered was 5000 meters up in Sichuan, it was a shed on the road over a hole, and two very

China is big and its bathrooms are diverse. The worst bathroom I encountered was 5000 meters up in Sichuan, it was a shed on the road over a hole, and two very thin slippery wooden boards to squat on (yes, I was scared to death of falling in). Western China is always going to be different, however. The government has a limited attention span, so they'll start a 5 year plan to improve public restroom access, but then it is forgotten a year later. Things do gradually improve, but usually via the private sector (more places to wash up at restaurants and such). If you are living a normal life in a tier 1-3 city, you've already made all your adjustments and know what to expect. I'm less confident in less developed areas, and strike it as a win when I find something clean and sit down.